Read Online You Can Run by Norah McClintock - Free Book Online Page B

her into running.
    The way I had it mapped out, it would go something like this: “Hi, Kenny, Trisha’s in my history class. We were doing a project together and, well, we had a little misunderstanding. I need to talk to her. It’s important. So do you have any idea where I could find her?” And he would say . . . well, I wasn’t sure what he would say. But I was hoping it would be something helpful.
    The way it actually happened:
    â€œRobyn, you couldn’t have grabbed us some seats?” Morgan said. She came toward me carrying a tray loaded with a bowl of vegetarian chili, a slice of whole grain bread, a bottle of apple juice, and her wallet. I was standing just inside the cafeteria door, where I had been looking for Kenny Merchant. I’d spotted him too. He was in the food line, three people away from the cash register.
    â€œHere, hold this for a minute, will you?” Morgan said. She thrust the tray at me, picked up her wallet, and tucked it into the mini-backpack she uses as a purse. “See if you can spot a couple of empty chairs,” she said, pulling out a mirror. Kenny was one person away from the register. Morgan looked into the mirror and made a face. “A zit,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I cleanse every morning and every night, and I’m getting a zit.” Kenny was paying for a plastic-wrapped submarine sandwich. He moved past the register and looped around, heading back toward the door.
    â€œMorgan—”
    â€œHow come I never see you with a zit?” she said. She made it sound like I had made a pact with the devil.
    â€œMorgan, here, take this,” I said. I shoved the tray at her and turned away without checking to see if she had a grip on it. I heard a gasp and then a crash. Morgan cursed and called my name. But I was already out of the cafeteria, running after Kenny.
    He wasn’t especially tall for a guy, but he had a long stride. He was halfway down the hall before I caught sight of him again. He was gone altogether by the time I reached the spot where I had seen him.
    â€œYou! Hunter,” someone called. Mr. Dormer, one of the vice principals. “No running in the hall.”
    I skidded to a halt, muttered an apology, and started speed walking.
    By the time I’d got to the exit door at the end of the hall, Kenny had vanished. I scanned the schoolyard. There were kids dotted and knotted all over it, but none of them was Kenny. I’d almost had him back in the cafeteria. Now, because he wasn’t in any of my classes, I was unlikely to run into him during the afternoon. I could try to catch him after school, but there were half a dozen exits from the building and I had no idea which one he would use.
    Then fortune smiled on me.
    As I turned to go back inside, I spotted him. He was at the top of the bleachers that ran along one side of the athletic field.
    I crossed the field and started to make my way to where he sat working his way through his cafeteria sandwich. He heard me coming and looked down at me as I climbed toward him. I smiled, to show that I was friendly and to put him in a relaxed mood. He stared back at me and took another bite of his sandwich. He chewed with his mouth partly open.
    When I got close enough, I said, “Hi.”
    He didn’t answer.
    â€œMy name is Robyn,” I said.
    He gave me a so-what look and bit off another chunk of sandwich. He didn’t say anything.
    â€œI’ve been looking for Trisha Carnegie,” I said. “She’s in my history class. We were working on a project together and, well, we had this little problem.” I smiled again. “I was wondering if you knew how I could get in touch with her.”
    Kenny wrapped up what remained of his sandwich and shoved it into his jacket pocket. Then he got up and started down the bleachers to the athletic field. He didn’t look at me and he didn’t answer.
    â€œHey!” I said. I chased